Universal Set
by Ice Spirit
Summary: In the universe of love, somethings inevitably intersect. 8018, onesided 86-80


****IceSpirit: Hi! I know I should be updating "Ties" but this idea won't get out of my head. It's some experimental thing, playing around different POVs. Please let me know what you think in the end!

**Universal Set**

He's at it again, you thought.

You watched as his gaze wander through the crowd, searching.

It's normal to look for familiar faces in gatherings like this, you told yourself but that dull, clenching feeling in your chest told you otherwise. You wound your arms tighter around his but he didn't seem to mind, not a single glance. His eyes remained in search…for somebody.

You looked up to him in hope, maybe this time will be different.

But the lights, the music, the people, even you didn't seem to matter to him.

Then his eyes brightened.

And for perhaps the eightieth time, he left your grasp without a word of excuse towards that secluded corner of the ballroom. Eyes glossy, you watched his back move farther and farther from you with a single-minded determination.

At first you didn't mind. You didn't understand it then.

The tenth time got you curious.

The eighteenth time, you followed his gaze.

During the twenty-seventh, you realized.

At the fifty-fourth time, you tried to stop him. He didn't hear you.

The sixty-ninth time was when you understood that it's your fault for always asking him to come with you. Because in the first place, you two have nothing aside from that word called _friendship_.

But out of all these eighty times that he's left your side, you've never tried asking him why because in truth, you'd rather not know.

You let your arms fall to your sides, hands clenched in an attempt to stop the trembling.

You hear some acquaintances approach. You force out a smile, wishing they'd leave you alone to drown in your sorrow. Yet they linger with their small talk, asking who you came to the party with.

Rely on these people to rub in the pain.

No one, you say and hurriedly excused yourself. You just want to get away. The lights and the tears that threaten to fall blurred your vision. You don't care. You just want to get away. In your haste, you bumped into someone. Eyes closed, you expected to fall to the ground as you lost your balance but it didn't come. You find Tsuna providing you support.

An understanding smile graced his lips as he led you out of the ballroom.

Somewhere along the way, in that deserted Vongola mansion hallway, you leaned on Tsuna and cried. Wordlessly, he just stood there with his gentle arms wrapped around you as your teardrops fell.

After a while, you heard him say, "I'm sorry Haru. He has not the slightest idea of what he's doing."

You cried even more because you understand.

He just doesn't love you the way you do.

When Haru came to my office, requesting for a transfer, I simply nodded.

There's nothing more to explain.

She appears alright with that bright smile on her lips. But her eyes say it all.

She murmured a small 'thank you' then left without a sound.

I leaned back to my seat and directed my attention to the mansion's rear view.

My gaze fell on two figures lying beneath a shady tree, holding hands while sharing a chaste kiss.

I looked away. For the first time in my life, I realized how complicated love is.

"Haru's leaving for China tomorrow," Hayato casually mentioned as he and Takeshi shared drinks. The surprised look in the swordsman's face told the Vongola's second-in-command that the other had no idea about the matter.

"Thought you knew. Aren't the two of you together?" Hayato continued. He raised a silver brow when the Japanese man started laughing.

"She and I are friends. Where did you get that idea, Gokudera?" Takeshi said, putting his glass down, laughter still in his voice.

"How come it's always you accompanying her to both mafia and non-mafia related functions?"

"She asked me to. Don't see anything wrong about that. Haha, I mean, we're friends." Takeshi answered casually, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

Hayato fought the urge to detonate the person in front of him. How thick can he get?

"Besides, I'm already with Kyouya," Takeshi sheepishly continued. "We don't exactly have a name for our, haha, uh, the two of us but, you get it"

"And Hibari doesn't mind you escorting Haru for what, the past two years?" irritation lacing the half-Italian's tone.

Takeshi shrugged as he repositioned himself on the _tatami_-covered floor, "Nope. He knows about it," a blush graced his features, "We've been, uh, together for five years. I'd like to think that we have an understanding."

Hayato sighed, deciding to down one more serving of _sake_. Yamamoto Takeshi, he concluded, is indeed an idiot. His brain can think about only one person at a time. _For five years and counting_.

Picking up his lit cigarette from the ashtray, Hayato took in a drag.

_Stupid people in love._

The smell of freshly brewed green tea wafted in the room as you heard the _shoji_ slide open and then close.

The familiar sound of socked footsteps on _tatami_ followed.

You felt him wrap his arms around you, head buried on your shoulders as he kissed your ears and whispered, "I'm home."

A small smile adorned your face because you know he'll always come to you.

* * *

What do you think? :)


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